Pastor Abraham Chol in police cell in Juba on Sunday, April 26, 20202 | Credit | Courtesy

A court in Juba has sentenced self-proclaimed prophet Abraham Chol to one month in prison for defying presidential directives against holding religious gatherings.

The ban on mass gatherings is meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease, which has so far infected 35 people.

On Sunday, police officers arrested Pastor Chol after he reportedly defied the presidential directive.

The police spokesperson told Eye Radio on Monday that the religious leader resisted arrest and verbally insulted the officers.

The police later pressed five charges against him at Gudele Court presided by First Judge Thomas Deng Ajak.

Abraham Chol pleaded guilty to all the five charges labeled against him including public nuisance and criminal intimidation.

“The first accused is Abraham Chol you have been sentenced to one month in prison from the date you entered in detention on 26 April 2020 in line with article 124/121 of South Sudan panel Court 2008,” Judge, Thomas Deng Ajak, declared on Thursday.

Two other members of his church also got shorter sentences of one week each.

Pastor Abraham Chol is the owner of Cush International Church and is also known to his followers as Prophet Abraham.